Misc. news stories

East Forest’s new documentary explores how music acts as an anchor during transformative healing experiences. See the official trailer here.

Researchers have revealed our sense of smell operates much faster than previously thought, suggesting we are as sensitive to rapid changes in odours as we are to rapid changes in colour. See the study here.

A new study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience explores how this drug affects brain activity at the level of individual neurons.

Psilocybin’s potential to safely and effectively treat mental illness appears to be highlighted with every new study into its effects. Now, Monash University researchers have added more evidence to the growing pile. The study was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

Image from: Brocken Inaglory (Wikki Commons)

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology highlights the potential synergy between meditation and psychedelics. Meditators who received a combination of DMT and harmine reported greater mystical experiences, non-dual awareness, emotional breakthroughs, and lasting increases in well-being compared to those given a placebo.

A couple of congressmen are asking for your assistance to better understand how to safely incorporate psilocybin and MDMA into therapy.

Dennis McKenna and anthropologist Wade Davis are working together to organize a movement dedicated to ending the vilification of the coca plant, and the persecution of its consumers.

The book “Norell and Strange” offers a compelling allegory for the psychedelic industry, especially in its relation to mysticism and magic.

A recent study published in the journal Dreaming sheds new light on the relationship between near-death experiences and dreaming. The research found that individuals who have had a near-death experience (NDE) report more frequent and vivid dreams, including lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences, and even precognitive dreams, compared to those who have not come close to death.

A direct comparison between the experimental psychedelic drug psilocybin and a standard SSRI antidepressant shows similar improvement of depressive symptoms, but that psilocybin offers additional longer-term benefits. The work is presented for the first time at the ECNP Congress in Milan. A related paper will appear in the journal eClinicalMedicine to coincide with the conference presentation.

Scientists have discovered what they call a ‘third state’ between life and death, where some cells of an organism survive even after the organism dies. They don’t just survive – they develop new capabilities they didn’t have in the organism’s life, according to a study published in the Physiology journal.

A recent study published in Translational Psychiatry adds a new layer to this understanding by investigating how ketamine impacts brain function, specifically focusing on high-order interactions in brain activity.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredient in cannabis, has been shown to reverse conventional signs of brain aging in mice – a discovery that could help in finding ways to keep our brains healthier and sharper for longer as we get older. The research has been published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science.

A recent study published in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics challenges conventional wisdom about the interaction between cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), revealing that it may be not only incorrect but actually the opposite of what is commonly believed.

High doses of psilocybin—the active ingredient in magic mushrooms—appears to have a similar effect on depressive symptoms as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug escitalopram, suggests a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The BMJ on the 21st of August.

A recent research published in the journal Heliyon suggests that LSD might modulate how the brain processes pain. The study reveals that LSD can alter the brain’s pain neural network, offering potential insights that could influence future research in cognitive science and pharmacology.